1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an encoding apparatus for encoding picture information and a video camera using the encoding apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
MPEG2_Video (ISO/IEC13818-2), for example, is known as a motion picture compression system that is directed to a high rate and high resolution. MPEG4_Video (ISO/IEC14496-2), for example, is also known as a motion picture compression system that is directed to a low rate and low resolution.
Here, JP-A-2000-312363 has proposed a technology for controlling a rate of MPEG4 by use of side information (such as total encoding amount) when MPEG2 is decoded to trans-code an MPEG2 stream into an MPEG4 stream.
On the other hand, JP-A-11-136683 has proposed a technology for utilizing a picture signal having low resolution to encode a frame of a video signal having high resolution.
In the trans-code disclosed in JP-A-2000-312363 described above, the output has one system, and picture information having high resolution/high rate and picture information having low resolution/low rate cannot be outputted and recorded simultaneously.
The technology for encoding picture information having high resolution by utilizing more effectively the picture signal having low resolution that is disclosed in JP-A-11-136683 cannot improve picture quality of picture information having low resolution/low rate.